• the217
• Blogs
• Capes & Cowls
• Jason’s The Last Musketeer

• RSS

Jason’s The Last Musketeer

posted by Matt Knicl at 11:44 pm.

• Bookmark & Share
• Comments (0)

All For Some

I recently read The Last Musketeer, an alternative comic by Norwegian cartoonist Jason. I could try to explain the premise in my own words, but the product description does it well:

“Jason’s fourth full-color album may feature his loopiest premise yet. Set in the present time, The Last Musketeer stars the by-now centuries old musketeer Athos, who has been reduced to a suavely dressed but useless near-panhandler trading on his now almost extinct fame. All this changes when one day the Martians attack Earth. Suddenly there is a need for swashes to be buckled, and Athos leaps back into the fray with a vengeance. The Last Musketeer is a vintage sci-fi adventure with a unique twist from an internationally acclaimed cartoonist.”

When it comes to comics today, the medium is as diverse as fiction. What I mean is, while comics (in America) are mostly about horror/fantasy/sci-fi elements, there are many other types of stories out there. To say a comic fan should read everything that is a comic is faulty logic - just because someone likes books doesn’t mean they like the content and execution of a Nora Roberts romance as well as a Tolkien fantasy.

Many super hero fans, or even the typical “Vertigo crowd” of “serious” action/psycho-thriller readers, aren’t going to like or appreciate Last Musketeer. This graphic novel is a different beast. While it is a sci-fi book concerned with robots and aliens, plus a bit of fantasy with an immortal literary character, the way the story is told and the images rendered places it in a different category.

One of the most notable aspects of Jason’s work is the use of cartoon animals instead of humans. His style is simplistic and colorful - there is detail when it is needed, a style similar to other European minimalists, notably Hergé. I find most alternative or indie comics are very concerned with lines and crude detail. It was a welcomed change from other cartoonists, like R. Crumb and David Collier.

As for the story - it was good. I haven’t read The Three Muskateers, but I didn’t loose anything. Arthos is displaced by time and circumstance - an anachronism. When the Martians invade Arthos commandeers a ship and returns to Mars. He is captured and eventually escapes into the barren Mars countryside. Aided by Martian dissidents, including the Emperor’s daughter, Arthos is able to reclaim his honor in the face of changing times (literally represented by robots and spaceships). It’s postmodern with a complex philosophy - Arthos is just trying to prove that he matters. Not that he matters now, but that he mattered at all.

And the other characters are complex. Peppered throughout the narrative are other people that have their own motivations, and while you probably couldn’t write a paper on them, their actions are suspect to scrutiny. All in all though, I had to significantly shift gears when I read this. I found I enjoyed the art and story and was mad when the book ended.

In the end, this is a story that will make you think. Some people want that, others don’t. But, there’s only so much graphic violence and overly dramatic plot twists one man can take.

Images used with permission of Fantagraphics

Matt Knicl: My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.